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The value of a kitchen has many aspects to it. Your kitchen needs to look nice and match the overall decor and style of your home. There may be some special requirements such as to easily accommodate entertaining. Of course one of the main values a kitchen provides is to cook delicious meals.
This blog is a review of a video that we have watched a few times as Ethan Chlebowski has done a wonderful job of explaining some of the finer points of how to achieve a delicious result. For those of you who love to know the details and the reasons why then you will love this video.
Ethan’s video (24 minutes) is well done and packed full of helpful advice. I personally, followed his advice shortly after viewing the video and the result was two excellent Ribeye steaks and many compliments too!
Ethan’s philosophy is that once you learn the how AND why behind cooking, you become a much better cook.
Note that key points in the video are presented in this blog, with a timestamp, and the entire video is at the bottom.
Selection of the Steak
Timepoint: 1:23
The two main factors are the fat content and the tenderness of the cut.
In this section, he also covers the USDA quality grading system. There are eight grading levels, but only the top three are used for human consumption. Prime, Choice, and Select are the top three. The difference within these top three grades relates to inter-muscular fat or marbling differences.
Salting the Steak
Timepoint: 5:19
Why salt a steak?
- It amplifies flavor
- It can affect the texture of the beef depending on when the salt is applied
- You want a steak to be salted but not to taste salty
- A well-salted steak will enable us to experience it as juicier because salt stimulates our saliva flow
The video also has some interesting and valuable information about the timing of applying the salt.
Cooking
Timepoint: 11:30
For most people, an ideal steak is a juicy interior with a browned and slightly crisp crust.
He does some experiments based on cooking to different internal temperatures.
The rarer the steak, the more the steak will retain moisture.
He recommends using a thermometer to achieve a proper internal temperature.
Carryover Cooking
Timepoint: 15:30
What is carryover cooking? This is when the steak continues to cook even after removing it from the heat.
Why Sear
Timepoint: 16:14
It increases the texture and creates a pleasing color. People like the look. For a steak to brown, three things have to happen in order.
- The surface temperature of the steak must rise to 212 degrees Fahrenheit
- The heat at the surface must be allowed to evaporate the surface moisture
- Then the heat at the surface must increase to a minimum of 300 degrees Fahrenheit
A cooking tip for this part of the cooking process is to use a really hot pan and make sure any extra surface moisture on the steak has been dabbed off.
Thicker cuts will enable you to get an excellent surface sear and still have a nice medium-rare interior.
Letting a Cooked Steak Rest
Timepoint: 20:25
Let the steak rest to improve the texture. The structure loosens, and the meat will hold more moisture. The higher moisture level results in a more succulent steak. Most of the time, you will want to rest your steak. But keep in mind the carryover cooking.
Slicing Your Steak
Timepoint: 22:18
You may have heard always slice across the grain for a steak, and this does matter a lot for certain cuts like tri-tip flank and skirt steak because these are whole muscle cuts.
However, all of the cuts presented in the video have already been cut from a whole muscle and have already been cut across the grain.
Recap
The video is 24 minutes long and filled with excellent information. If you enjoy a good steak and, in fact, often spend good money to buy a good steak, then gaining insight from Ethan by watching this video will be well worth your time.
Bon Apetit from The Delmarva Design Center. Enjoy!
Check out Ethan Chlebowski’s YouTube channel. Here is a direct link.
Visit the Delmarva Design Center at 38507 Dupont Boulevard in Selbyville, Deleware, to see our wide selection of kitchen cabinets, appliances, countertop materials, and flooring.